The moral of this powerful story is clear and always relevant. There is no venom quite so deadly as mistrust and fear. Fear of the unknown; fear of the other; fear of failure; fear of death—nothing causes spiritual and emotional paralysis more effectively than fear. It corrodes faith, cuts off our pathways for giving and receiving grace and mercy, and if it is left untreated long enough, it gives way to hatred, hardness of heart and soul, and leads ultimately to death.